Thread-advancing reel



will!" u III lilllll /I/I/ Ill/ll/II/I/IIIIlIllII/I/Il/l/ll/IIl/l/ l/l/ x -fi a q Zinventor Q Q f y George R Terrence E W l947- G. P. TORRENCE 2,425,136

THREAD ADVANCING REEL Filed Nov. 4, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 k s Q attorney Patented Aug 5, 1947 THREAD-ADVANCING REEL George I. Torrence, Shaker Heights, Ohio, as-. signor to Industrial Rayon Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application November 4, 1944, Serial No. 561,942

1 This invention relates to thread-advancing reels and, more particularly, it relates to new and improved means for supporting such reels. Thread-advancing reels of the type shown and described, for example, in the Knebu'sch Patent No. 2,210,914 are made up of at least two sets of interleaved or interdigitating bar members which define the thread-bearing periphery of the reels. The sets of bar members are mounted on axes which are oflset and inclined with respect to one another. Due to the action of the bar members, the reels will axially advance thread which is being collected thereon. For convenience, these reels will be referred'to merely as "thread-advancing reels. It is to be understood, however, that such reels may. also be employed in handling tapes, bands, cables, strips or wire.

Processing operations may be performed on the thread or threadlike material while it is being advanced on the reels. tion cause the thread to shrink, thus creating 8 Claims. (CL 28-7111) 2 tensive with the thread-bearing periphery of the reel. 4

The invention will be more fully described by reference to the following drawing in which:

Figure 1 represents an and elevation of a bilaterally supported thread-advancing reel embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of the reel of Figure 1 as seen from line 22 thereof;

Figure 3 is a cross section of a reel which corresponds generally to that of the reel of Figures 1 and 2 except that the reel is unilaterally supported;

Figure 4 is similar to Figure 2 but illustrates certain modification in the reel-structure and s the use of antifriction bearings;

Some processing opera- 2 tension on the bar members of the reel. The

reels may also be used tosubject the thread to a stretching operation by using two successive reels operating at different peripheral speeds.

The stretching of the thread will also impose tension on the bar members. v

Where the tensions developed become sumciently great, it, sometimes happens that the thread-supporting bar members are forced out of proper alignment so that they no longer serve efi'ectively to advance the thread. along the pe-' riphery oi the reel. The tensions imposed on the bar members are, of course, transmitted to the bearings. and. bearing surfaces upon which the bar members are mounted for rotation' The forces which tend to misalign the bar members may thus also cause the bearing members to bind and thus interfere with efiective operation or the thread-advancing reel. This invention provides a novel means for rotatably supporting the bar members of the reel Figure 5 represents an additional emodiment of the invention as applied to a unilaterally supported thread-advancing reel.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the thread-advancing reel comprises substantially rigid reel members '6 and I. Concentric reel member 6, so called because it is mounted concentrically with respect to the axis of supporting member 8, has a thread-bearing periphery formed of a plurality of bar members 3.. Bar-members 9, secured to and spaced circumferentially about a generally circular dished web'plate l0, extend substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of reel member 5. Reel member I, referred to as the eccentric member by reason of its eccentric mounting with respect to the axis of supporting member 8, is provided with a thread-bearing periphery comprising a plurality of bar members I I secured to disk I2. I

Reel members 6 and l are so mounted that they occupy substantially the same space, bar members 9 and il being alternately disposed ininterdigitating relation. As indicated, reel members 6 and 1 are mounted for rotation about axes which are offset and inclined with respect to each other. These reel members cooperate during rotation of the reel to advance thread along the threadbearing periphery of the reel from one end thereoi toward the other in the manner. described in detail in Knebusch Patent 2,210,914; In operation, the reel illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 is impositively rotated by the pull of the thread, the

two members being driven one from the other. by bar to bar contact.

3 Hub I3 which is advantageously formed intogrally with web plate I ofthe concentric .reel member .3 .is rotatably' mounted about the internal cylindrical portion I4 01' supporting member 8. A shoulder I5 is provided at one end of the thread turns and, therefore, the length of the thread stored upon the reel. To accomplish this cylindrical portion ll. A retainer ring I3 is placed against hub I3 and is heldin position by a snap ring I! to prevent axial displacement 'of concentric reel member 8 on the cylindrical portion I4 of thesupporting member 8.

Forming part of the supporting member 3 is an eccentric mounting portion I3 having a bearing surface I3 about which hub 20 of the eccentrio reel member I is rotatably mounted. Hub 20, like hub I3 of reel member 6, is advantageously formed integrally, with disk I2 of the eccentric reel member I and is prevented from airial displacement by the radially extending flange 2I on one end of bearing surface I9. Hub II is held against displacement by flange 2| and by the retainer ring 22 and snap .ring 23.

The bearing surface I9 01' supporting member 8 is machined to provide an axis that is bothoflset purpose. a cantilever type device such as is illus- .trated by Figure 3 may be used with advantage.-

This device differs from that hereinbefore described in respect of the fact that supporting member 8a, instead of being unitary as in the case of member 8 of the reel of Figures 1 and 2, is made up of cylindrical member Ila and an eccentric mounting member l8a. As before, con

'centric reel member 6 is mounted concentrically of and in freely rotatable relation to cylindrical member Ila while eccentric reel member 'I is similarly disposed about the bearing surface ,ISa of mounting member IOa.

Cylindrical member Ida is mounted upon a unilaterally supported stationary shaft 28 which extends therethrough. Bearing surface lid of mounting membenIBa is so machined that its axis is inclined with respect to that of shaft 23. At the same time, the axis of bore 29 of mounting member I8a which engages sleeve 30 of the cylindrical member Ila is offset laterally with respect to the axis'of the bearing surface 34 of the cylindrical member Ila. setscrew 3| threaded through hub portion 32 of mounting member I 8a and sleeve 30 of cylindrical member Ila secures composite supporting member 8a to shaft Hub I3 of concentric reel member 6, which is rotatably mounted on cylindrical member Ila, is

supporting member 8 provides bearing surfaces about which reel members 6 and I are rotatably mounted that are substantially coextensive with the thread-bearing portions of bar members 9 and I I Moreover, dished web plate III and disk I2 of reel members 6 and 1, respectively, are themselves in substantially close proximity, and they support their respective bar members 3 and II from a point substantially intermediate the ends of the said bar members. By virtue of this construction, substantially full support is provided for the bar members thus virtuallyeliminating the springing action on the reelmembers 6 and I and the binding action on the respective bearings due to the tension of the thread being advanced on the reel.

For purposes of "operation, the reel is supported on stubs 25 formed integrally with supporting member 8. Stubs 25 have flat surfaces 26 to prevent rotation of the supporting member 8 and are adapted to register with a correspondingly shaped slot in a receiving yoke, bracket, or other suitable means (not shown) for suspending the reel in an operating relation to the equipment with which it is to be used.

.The supporting structure contemplated by the present invention is also capable of being so constructed as to be readily demountable' for the purpose of altering the arrangement of "the reel members to fit any of a number of varied conditions; Due to the nature of the processing operations to be performed on the thread while it is on the reel and due to characteristics of the thread itself, it is frequently desirabletochange the pitch of the helical path formed by the thread as it advances along the reel periphery. It is pose sible with a supporting structure of a demountable character, by the substitution of appropriate parts, to adjust the relation of the reel members to each other so as to vary the pitch of the restrained from axialdisplacement 'at one end by shoulder I5 of sleeve 30. Retainer ring I8 and snap ring I! at the end of hub I3 prevent the displacement of reel member 6 at the other end. Bearing means such, for example, as sleeve bearing 33, retained by a press fit or other suitable means, may be ,provided in hub 20 of the eccentric reel member I. The axial displacement of eccentric reel member I is prevented, as in the 3 case of the device of Figures 1 and 2, by means of a flange 2| at one end of hub 20 and a retainer ring 22 backed by a snap ring 23. s

The built-up construction of supporting member 8a or the device of Figure 3 affords greater flexibility in adapting the reel to varying cpnditions. By removing setscrew 3I, the mounting member I8a may be removed and a similar. part substituted which has been machined to different specifications so as to alter the offset and inclined relationship of the axes of the two reel members 6 and I. In this fashion, the number and pitch of the thread turns on the periphery of the reel may be changed to suit any specific set of conditions.

The reel of Figure 4 is provided with a unitary supporting member 8b similar to member 8 of the 3 of hub I3 of member 6 to provide a bearing sur- As in the previously described embodiments of the invention, retainer ring I8 face therefor.

and snap ring I! serve to position member I in proper axial relation on cylindrical portion Ilb of supporting member 3b.

Eccentric member I is similarly rotatably supported about eccentric mounting portion I8b by means of suitable antifriction roller bearings 31,

31' which are inserted in hub 20 of the eccentric member I. A flange II and a retainer ring 22 backed by snap ring-23 serve, as before, to positioneccentric member 1 in proper axial relation to eccentric mounting Nb of supporting member 8b. Stubs 25b are provided on supporting men ber 8b to support the reel from a suitable yoke (not shown) inoperating relation to a treatingbath.

The reel of Figure 4- is particularly adapted to be positioned with at least a part of its periphery reel periphery dips may be minimized.

advancing reel, the thread-bearing periphery of which is defined by. two interdigitating sets oi bar members, said means comprising an arbor supported from both ends thereof, and two generally cylindrical hub members associated with said arbor so disposed that one substantially completely encompasses the other, sai hub members having their axes offset and inclined with re- "spect to each other and supporting said sets oi 'Like the reel illustrated in Figure 3, the device of Figure 5 is adapted to besupported from one end only by means of stub 38. The structure porting said sets of bar members in rotatable of this reeldifiers from those previously described in that reel members '8 and I are mounted on supporting member 80 in such fashion that they may be disassembled from the free or unsupported end of said member 8c without removing the reel from its mounting. I

Eccentric reel member I of this reel has its hub freely rotatably mounted upon eccentric mounting portion We 01 supporting member 80 being prevented from axial movement with respect thereto by flange 39, retainer ring and snap ring 4|; Concentric reel member 8 is positioned axially of cylindrical portion c of supporting member 8c by means of retainer ring it and snap ring II.

It will be apparent from all of the above-described reel structures that dueto the telescopic arrangement of bearing surface I9 01' eccentric mounting portion l8 and cylindrical portion ll of supporting member 8, th bearing surfaces of the two reel members 6 and I are substantially coextensive with the thread-bearing portions of bar members 9. and II Moreover, dished web plate l0 and disk l2 of reel members 8 and 1, respectively, support their respective bar members 9 and II at a point substantially intermediate the ends of the bar members. By virtue of this arrangement rigid support for the bar members is furnished, substantially eliminating the 'springing'oi the thread-supporting members of as the binding or type shown in the Knebusch Patent No. 2,056,197

may be employed.

I claim: I i

1. Means for rotatably supporting a thread-advancing reel, the thread-bearing periphery'of which is defined by two interdigitating sets of bar members, said means comprising two generally cylindrical hub members so disposed that one substantially completely encompasses the other, said hub members having their axes offset and inclined with respect to each other and suprelation thereto.

2. Means for rotatably supporting a threadbar members in rotatable relation thereto.

-3. Means for rotatably supporting a threadadvancing reel, the thread-bearing periphery of which is defined by two interdigitating sets of bar members, said means comprising an arbor supported from one end onl thereof, and two generally cylindrical hub members associated with said arbor so disposed that one substantially completely encompasses the other, said hub members having their axes offset and inclined with respect to eachother and sup tting said sets of bar members in rotatable relation thereto.

4, Means for rotatably supporting a threadadvancing reel, the thread-bearing periphery of which is defined by two interdigitating sets of bar members, said means comprising two generally cylindrical hub members, each of which supports a set of bar members in rotatable relation thereto, said hub members having their axes offset and inclined with respect to each other and being substantially coextensive with the thread-bearing periphery of the reel.

5. Means for rotatably supporting a threadadvancing reel, the thread-bearing periphery of which is defined by two interdigitating sets of bar members, said means comprising an arbor supported from both ends thereof, and two generally cylindrical hub members associated with said arbor; each of which supports a set of bar members in rotatable relation thereto, said hub members having their axes-oilset and inclined with respect to eaclr other and being substantially coextensive with the thread-bearing periphery of the reel.

6. Means for rotatably supporting athreadadvancing reel, the thread-bearing periphery of which is defined by two interdigitating sets of bar members, said means comprising an arbor supported from one end only thereof, two general- 'ly cylindrical hub members associated with said arbor, each of which supports a set of bar memrelation to the first-mentioned set of bar members, both of said bearing means being substantially coextensive with the thread-bearing periphery of the reel.

8. Means for rotatably supporting a threadadvancing reel, the thread-bearing periphery of 'which is defined by two interdigitating sets of tions.

. 7 -a.ntifriction bearings for each of said surfaces,

bar member supporting means mounted on said surfaces, the bar member supporting means havin; bar member supporting portions positioned relative each other at a distance so that the length 5 of the bar members extending beyond the supporting portionsds no greater than the length of the bar members between said supporting por- GEQRGE P. TORRE'NCE.

nmnnncns CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Date 

